Growing Closer
by NeuroticMusing
Summary: Teddy Bear Snapshots: As the years went by, Vince and Jamie's relationship only got stronger. And to think it all started with a lost teddy bear. Vince/Orwell
1. Backyard Kisses

**Hey, everyone! Here's another random three chaptered story. These are going to be snapshots from my story Teddy Bear. The first one is going to be from when they were seven and eleven. Chapter two, sixteen and nineteen. Chapter three, twenty-one and twenty-five. **

**Sit back and enjoy the chapter. You'll find a reference to episode five, a little shout out to the Disney movie: The Lion King. (Which, I do not own, obviously.)**

_**Growing Closer- Chapter One: Backyard Kisses**_

Eleven-year-old Vince Faraday loved the outdoors. Anytime he could, he would follow his parents outside, even if it were just for a moment. Recently, the young boy had convinced his father to build a tree house in the backyard. The minute he got his first look inside, he couldn't wait to show Jamie.

Janine Fleming and Amanda Faraday had became best friends since the day of the apartment store incident. The two mothers were almost always together, which meant, Vince and Jamie were almost always together. The eleven year old knew it wouldn't take long to convince his mother to invite the Flemings over. Vince didn't know why, but Jamie's father wouldn't come with them anymore. He didn't like it because it made his Jamie upset.

When the eleven-year-old walked into his country styled house, he went straight into the kitchen, where his mother was taking out a freshly baked apple pie.

Their kitchen always smelt like apples, cinnamon, and coffee. Little Vince had become accustomed to it; any time he smelt a combination of the three, he thought of his mother. "Mom?" the eleven-year-old called out to the sandy blonde, who had an apron on.

Amanda turned to her son and smiled warmly. She placed a hand on the back of his head and guided him to rest against her hip. She then bent down to hug him gently. "Do you need something, Vincent?"

Vince pleaded with his intense blue eyes. "Can Jamie come over, mom? I want to show her the tree house!"

"Well," the blonde started in a tease.

"Please, mom! I'll be good, I promise!" the eleven-year-old whined, tugging on his mother's apron.

"Okay," Amanda kissed the bridge of her son's nose. "You win."

"Thank you, mom!" Vince began excitedly as he hugged his mother again.

"No problem, kiddo. Go get washed up for dinner. I'll call your little friend's house, maybe they'll join us."

Vince didn't need to be told twice. He ran down the hall to the bathroom, faster than Amanda had _ever _seen her son run before.

-0-

By the time Janine brought her daughter over, eleven-year-old Vince had been pacing through the house. Amanda told her son there was no need to pace; it certainly wouldn't make Jamie get there faster. Little Vince didn't care either way.

When he heard a knock at the door, the eleven-year-old was sprawled out on the floor, watching TV. Vince sprung to his feet as if it were life or death. "Mom, they're here!" the boy called out as he ran to the front door.

"Just answer the door, darling. I'll be right there!" Amanda called from the kitchen.

Vince bobbed his head in agreement and opened the front door. His little grin spread wider as he saw his best friend. The boy stood aside and let Jamie and her mother inside. Peter was working late _again_ and couldn't make it.

Janine walked in ahead of her daughter, heading to the kitchen to see her best friend. Jamie smiled brightly at Vince and hugged him tightly.

"Nice to see you, too," Vince said, happily squeezing the little brunette back. He then picked up Jamie and placed her on his shoulders. Rushing towards the dining room table, he grinned as his best friend let out a few bubbly giggles.

Amanda Faraday watched her son with a warm smile. The way he interacted with his best friend was too adorable for words. She could tell that those two had something special going on. The blonde placed down a plate of food in front of Janine, and did the same for Vince and Jamie as they sat down at the table.

After the two inhaled their dinners in a record speed, Vince dragged Jamie outside to see the new tree house.

The little brunette raised a hand to block the brutal California sun from her eyes as her best friend led her out of the back door. They ran down the patio steps, to which the tree house came into view.

Jamie stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the seven foot high tree house. She never had a tree house before…

Vince turned around to look at the brunette. "Are you okay, Jamie?"

"Uh-huh," she answered a bit timidly.

The mini sandy blonde squeezed his best friend's hand, passing her a grin. "Come on then, you gotta see how cool this is!"

Jamie was all excited, until she started climbing the ladder after Vince. That _was _pretty high up…

Once Vince got up to the hut, he looked down at the little brunette. "Hey, are you okay down there?"

"Um," the seven-year-old began, curling against the ladder for balance. "This is _really _high up!"

"Just don't look down, it'll be okay," the eleven-year-old passed her a grin.

Jamie narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "That's easy for you to say! You're already up there!"

Vince dropped to the floor and held his hand out over the ladder. "Just climb up to grab my hand, and I'll pull you up."

The little brunette shot him a wary look. "Are you sure you won't drop me?"

"I promise, Jamie. I won't drop you," the sandy blonde offered her a smile.

Jamie let a whine escape her lips as she climbed two more steps to get to Vince's hand. When she grabbed onto it tightly, he pulled her up. As he tried to sit up to give her room, the brunette ended up on top of him.

She blushed brightly, scrambling to her feet. "I guess I pinned you like on _The Lion King_," Jamie began shyly.

Vince chuckled, a little embarrassed as well. "I guess you did."

The little brunette held out a hand and helped her best friend to his feet.

"Thanks Jamie," the sandy blonde smiled, giving her a tight hug.

She accepted the hug, only to hold on tighter when she looked down at the ground. "Vince, I don't like being really high up."

"Aw, is little Jamie afraid of heights?" Vince teased, baring an arm down on her head to give her a massive noogie.

The eleven-year-old was constantly a playful bully to his best friend. He would tell her that he could beat her up, but he never did. Let someone else threaten his little girlfriend, though… The last kid to do that was spitting out sand for a week from the face plant into a sandbox.

Jamie giggled as Vince continued with the noogie. "Vince, stop it!"

The mini sandy blonde pressed his best friend's little frame into his and hugged her again. "You know I'm just playin'."

If someone asked Vince who Jamie was, he would tell them that she was his girlfriend. When they would pull out the cootie card, he would tell them that girls have cooties. Jamie wasn't a girl. Just his girlfriend.

The little brunette was let go a moment later. She was frowning at the height difference between the tree house and the grass again.

The eleven-year-old noticed his best friend's expression. "C'mon," he began gently. "Let's get down to the ground, play a game of tag."

Jamie nodded happily, watching as the sandy blonde began to climb down the ladder. She felt safer knowing that Vince was in front of her, rather than behind her.

Once the eleven-year-old was on the ground, he made sure the brunette got there as well.

"You good now?" he asked, carefully watching over her.

"Uh-huh. I think so," Jamie began, passing her best friend a smile.

"Okay," Vince grinned, tapping her on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it!"

The brunette opened her mouth in shell-shock, giggling a moment later when the sandy blonde ran away as fast as he could.

The eleven-year-old stopped by a flower bed and crouched behind a tree that grew in the middle of it. He snickered into his hand as his best friend walked around looking for him.

He was doubled over in a quiet laughter when she began calling his name. What he hadn't known, was that she snuck up on him while he was busy laughing.

Jamie smiled at Vince when he looked over and saw her next to him. She tapped him on the shoulder lightly. "You're it, Vincey."

The brunette put up quite a chase. It took the eleven-year-old about five minutes to even catch up with her. By the time he was millimeters away from touching her arm, she sprung away in a rapid speed.

"Missed me, missed me! Now you gotta kiss me!" Jamie teased as she ran away.

Vince grinned. "How can I kiss you if you keep running away?" he asked while he was chasing after her.

"Ew, Vince! I was just kidding!" the brunette squealed as her best friend got closer to her.

The two teased each other like that for about an hour or so. It wasn't until the sun had begun to set, that they knew how late it had gotten.

Vince had finally caught up with Jamie when Amanda's voice echoed through the sky.

"Vince, Jamie! It's getting late, time to come inside!"

Both children looked at each other, grins on their faces.

"Race you to the house," the sandy blonde offered through his staggered breaths.

"Nuh-uh," the brunette said, also out of breath. "Piggy-back ride."

"Okay," Vince said, defeated. He let his best friend climb on his back, to which he secured her legs on either side of his hips and walked towards the house.

Jamie leaned her chin against the top of his head, smiling. "I love my best friend."

The sandy blonde smiled. "Yeah, you're pretty cool too," he replied jokingly.

**How was the chapter, guys? Stay tuned for the next!**


	2. Love Will See Us Through

**Hey Capers! Here's a brand spanking new chapter for you all to enjoy! It's safe to say that this is an interlude to "Christmas Vacation".**

**Many thanks to IA and DS for their reviews last chapter!**

**As always, I do not own The Cape.**

_**Growing Closer- Chapter Two: Love Will See Us Through**_

__Sixteen-year-old Jamie Fleming stared out the windshield of her boyfriend's worn out red pick-up truck. She sat in the middle seat, leaning onto his shoulder as he drove along a road leading to their neighborhood.

The couple had been out pretty much all night. Hours before, the brunette had made an upset phone call to Vince. Her parents had gotten into a fight about Peter always working, and never spending time with his family. Jamie couldn't stand it anymore and begged her mother to go out with Vince.

Jamie and Vince went out to a desolate area near their neighborhood and stayed there for _hours_. They parked in between two full trees, with a view of the night sky. The sandy blonde pulled the tailgate down and held his girlfriend tightly. It seemed to calm her down, but she still shook uncontrollably in his arms.

By the time the two were on their way back home, it was well over 2 AM. Jamie's mother didn't expect her to be home at a certain time; in fact, she didn't expect her to be home at all that night.

Vince would have loved to take his girlfriend back to his house. He really would have loved to hold her in his arms and tell her that everything would be okay. Unfortunately, he knew that family came first. No matter how much he wanted to protect her from her parents' feud, it would be better for her to be there for it all.

-0-

Jamie let out a little whine when she saw him pull onto her street instead of his. "Where are we going, Vince?"

"I'm taking you back home," Vince began, looking down at her long enough to spare her a gentle smile.

"Back home?" the brunette asked in disbelief. "I can't go back there, Vince! I want to be with you."

The sandy blonde sighed. "And I want to be with you as well, but you need to be at home right now. Maybe your parents have already made up? It usually doesn't take them long, anyway."

"But what if they're not?" Jamie questioned, her voice crackling in response. "What if they're sleeping on opposite ends of the house? I'll just feel awkward coming into that."

Vince pulled into the Fleming drive, parking his truck under a tree. He then turned to his girlfriend and took her hands in his gently. "There is nothing you can do, Jamie. They are either going to make up, or they're not," he leaned forward to give the brunette a quick peck. "You know I'd love for you to stay with me but, if I know you as well as I think I do, you'll be doing nothing but worrying yourself over them."

Jamie let out a little cry, leaning her forehead against her boyfriend's. "Please, Vince. I don't _want _to go back home. I just can't take all of the tension."

Vince gave her a sad smile as tears began to well up on her eyes. "How much tension is there going to be at two in the morning."

The brunette shook her head, tears finally falling from her eyes. "I don't want to find out…"

The sandy blonde kissed his girlfriend's cheek as he began to strum her knuckles with a thumb. "I promise that I'll walk you to the door. I'll make sure that you're okay. If you really _can't _deal, or they're still arguing, I _will _take you with me."

"Why save the trouble? I know I won't be able to deal. My parents were arguing for _hours _earlier!" Jamie fought back.

"Couples argue all of the time. I mean, look at us, for example. We're arguing right now," the sandy blonde began reassuringly.

"Vince, this is different. My _father _is different. ARK is changing him, and I know it. Ever since—" the brunette began, only to abruptly interrupted by her boyfriend starting a kiss with her.

The kiss was weak on Jamie's part, at first. Vince then ran a hand across her back, settling it on the small of her back. The brunette let out another cry before she put much more emphasis into the kiss.

The sandy blonde hated seeing his girlfriend so upset. It made him want to completely forget about what he said, turn around and hurry back to his house. Though, it wasn't the best thing for the brunette and he knew it.

When the two broke apart for air, Vince murmured, "I love you," against her lips.

Jamie took in a sharp gasp of air as a sob overcame her. "No, you don't love me. If you loved me, you would take me far away from here, without a single protest."

"Jamie, you know that's not true!" the sandy blonde fought back.

"Is it? You sure have a funny way of showing it," the brunette frowned as she scooted away from her boyfriend and picked her purse up from the floorboard.

"_Please_, stay here and talk this through with me," Vince pleaded, reaching out for her hand.

Jamie snatched her hand away and opened the truck door. "Why should I bother? You wanted me to go home, didn't you?"

The sandy blonde watched in horror as his girlfriend slammed the truck door and stalked towards their front door. He sighed to himself and followed after her hurriedly. "Jamie, please, talk to me!"

The brunette said nothing as she fished through her purse to get her keys.

"Baby, _listen _to me," the sandy blonde tried again.

"Don't _baby _me," Jamie responded darkly. "I don't want to speak to you right now." She finally was able to twist the house key around in the key hole, unlocking the front door.

"Sweetheart, I love you. You know I do!" Vince pleaded, tears welling up in his own eyes as he watched his girlfriend walk into her home.

"Goodnight, Vince," the brunette began quietly. When she looked up to slam the door in her boyfriend's face, both of them met with teary eyes.

Once the door was slammed shut, the two of them slunk down against either sides of the door, softening their sobs with a hand over their mouth.

This was their very _first _fight. In the years they've known each other, and they years they had been dating, a fight had finally come between them.

After Jamie and Vince took a few moments to calm themselves down, they went their separate ways. The brunette went upstairs, and the sandy blonde perched himself in the swing at the end of the porch.

Jamie eased down the hallway, stopping by her parents' bedroom. With a trembling hand, she opened the door a bit, smiling when she saw them both sound asleep in bed.

Vince laid his head on the pillow that sat on the porch swing. He sighed to himself, rubbing a rough hand over his face. The sandy blonde wasn't going to make the mistake of going home. He would make it all up to his girlfriend in the morning, somehow…

The brunette quietly shut her parents' door again, tiptoeing all the way down the hall to her bedroom. She was exhausted, mentally and physically. Not to mention how bad she felt for slamming the door in her boyfriend's face. Jamie had the urge to go outside and see if Vince was still out there. She opted to lay down in bed. Odds were that he left as soon as she shut the front door on him. If only she would have looked out the window to see his red pick-up truck still in her yard…

The sandy blonde focused on the sounds in nature around him. The steady sound of crickets, and the wind that blew in a cool shift of air every now and then. All of it just made him want to walk into that house and kiss his girlfriend soft and slowly.

As both the sixteen-year-old and the nineteen-year-old drifted off to sleep, they thought of their relationship as a whole. Their very first meeting in the department store downtown. Jamie smiled to herself; she still had her Bear-Bear sitting on her dresser.

Then they began to think of their very first kiss. It was a few days after Jamie and Vince first played in the tree house together. They were playing another game of tag, which of course, led into the _"Miss me, miss me, now ya gotta kiss me!" _tease. That time, Vince succeeded. The sandy blonde grinned at that. She had the sweetest lips, even at four years old.

Before either of them knew it, both Jamie and Vince had drifted off to sleep. The last coherent thing the two did was let the other's name escape their lips.

-0-

When the morning light bounced against the sandy blonde, he stirred awake with a groan. Vince rubbed at his eyes, not remembering that he was outside. He looked around the porch, reminding him of the events from last night, bringing the pain along with it.

Vince sighed to himself. His girlfriend was probably still seriously miffed at him. Of course, the sandy blonde mused, she did have a right to be. He didn't _have _to take her home.

He then looked down at his body, frowning at the blanket that was draped across him. That's weird; he didn't have a blanket on him when he fell asleep…

While the creepy factor was still dangling in the air, the front door opened up, a coffee bearing Janine walking out of the house, and onto the porch.

Well now it made a little bit more sense, Vince thought with a groan.

"Good Morning, Vincent," the older brunette passed the teenager a warm smile. As he sat up, she walked over to him and handed over a steaming cup of coffee.

The sandy blonde took the cup into his hands and drank from it to wake himself up. He looked up from the cup, passing the older brunette a sad glance. "Jamie told you what happened?"

Janine nodded, sitting down on the rocking chair that leaned against the wall. "I haven't told her that you're outside waiting for her."

Vince sighed to himself. "She's still mad at me?"

"Of course she is. Jamie is rather hardheaded, as I'm sure you know," the elder Fleming spared her daughter's boyfriend a little smile.

The teenager chuckled. "Yeah, I know."

Janine and Vince sat in silence for a few moments. The elder brunette looked around her front yard, enjoying the fresh fall air. The sandy blonde, on the other hand, drank his coffee and sulked as he thought of his girlfriend.

He was soon knocked back into reality when the elder Fleming's voice sounded through the air.

"Why don't you come inside? Mary is about to start breakfast."

Mary was the Fleming's cook. They had several servants coming in and out of the manor every day. Jamie had always joked that if her father could, he would hire a servant to help him chew his own food.

Vince looked down at the contents in his cup. "I don't know. Jamie probably won't be happy to see me."

"Don't worry about her. I know for a fact that the two of you will make up," Jamie began, smiling back at the sandy blonde.

"Are you sure?" the teenager questioned.

"Vince, the two of you have been _dating _since you were two and five years old," she smirked. "I'm sure that a little fight won't keep you down for long."

Vince's lips twisted into a grin. "Alright. I'll give it a try."

The elder Fleming picked herself up and walked towards the door. "Come on, now," she called over her shoulder.

The sandy blonde followed his girlfriend's mother inside, picking up on the smell of coffee and eggs.

"She should be in the kitchen," Janine began before she turned to her right to head upstairs. Vince took in a deep, shaky breath as he headed down the hallway. Once he was in the kitchen, he saw his girlfriend hoisted up on a stool at one of the many connected island counters in the kitchen. She had her nose in a book, and a mug of coffee in front of her.

He nervously padded over to her, hoisting himself up in the stool next to her.

The brunette saw someone from the corner of her eye, but wasn't sure of who it was. She placed a bookmark in her place and put the book down to turn towards whoever was next to her.

When her boyfriend came into view, he just smiled back at her. "Hey, Jamie," he added breathlessly.

The younger teenager frowned, crossing her arms against her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry. Jamie, I was really wrong to make you stay here, when I know you didn't want to," Vince began, still smiling gently.

Her frown turned into a scowl. "Apology not accepted," she turned back to her book, giving her boyfriend the cold shoulder.

"Please talk to me," the sandy blonde pleaded his eyes with her, hoping she would just look at him once more.

"Why should I talk to you? You wouldn't talk to me last night," Jamie frowned, turning a page in her book.

Vince sighed heavily. "Sweetheart, I _know _I screwed up. The moment you slammed the door in my face, I was ready to go win you back.

"Then why didn't you? Why did you leave if you felt so _guilty_?"

"I didn't leave. I stayed here _all _night, waiting for you," the sandy blonde replied, his face gentle.

Jamie stiffened at that. "You're lying," she deadpanned.

"Jamie," Vince called to her. When she didn't respond, he tried again. "Jamie, _look _at me."

The brunette sighed and did as she was told. As their eyes met, she took in how incredibly tired his eyes were. How messy his hair was. And he _was _wearing the same exact thing…

"Jamie, I am not lying to you," the sandy blonde placed a hand on her knee, frowning sadly as she flinched back. "I screwed up, yeah I did. But I'm asking you to _please _forgive me."

"How do I know that we won't get into another fight like this?" the brunette asked quietly, setting her book aside.

"We don't know. But what I do know is that we love each other very much. And love is something powerful," Vince responded, his eyes on her again.

"But, is it enough?" Jamie questioned, tears forming behind her eyes.

"We'll find out, just as long as I have your hand," the sandy blonde held out an expecting hand.

Jamie sighed, unsure of what to do. She really wanted to be with her boyfriend, but she was afraid.

"Jamie," Vince began, looking back at her with a hopeful smile.

"We can make this work?" the brunette asked.

"Of course we can," the sandy blonde responded, watching as his girlfriend slid her fingers in between his.

"Okay," Jamie smirked. "But you have to agree to something first."

Vince nodded, a little nervous as to her conditions. "What is it?"

-0-

During the next few weeks of their reconciliation, Vince and Jamie made up rather quickly. The brunette made her boyfriend wait on her hand and foot. He treated her like a queen, and Jamie enjoyed the hell out of it.

-0-

The sandy blonde and his girlfriend lay down on the brunette's bed, cuddled into each other. The radio played softly in the distance; Vince and Jamie sharing a slow kiss.

The two separated for a breath of air that neither of them wanted to take. Vince rested his forehead against his girlfriend's both breathing dangerously close to the other's lips.

"So," the sandy blonde gave her a little grin. "Am I forgiven yet?"

Jamie took a moment to think about it, a smirk in place. "I don't know, Vince. You might have to put up with the torture for a little longer," she pulled him closer to her again, starting another kiss.

"Well, I think I can take this kind of torture," the sandy blonde breathed through his lips.

"I'm sure you can," the brunette snuggled into her boyfriend's neck. "I like this myself. Now, can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah, what's that, sweetheart?" Vince asked, looking down at his girlfriend in concern.

"Can you go make me some more tea?" Jamie raised her head, giving the sandy blonde a pretty little smile.

The elder teenager smiled back, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I sure can. You still want peach flavor?"

The brunette took a moment to come up with an answer. "Actually, raspberry sounds great right about now."

"You've got it," Vince said, sliding out from behind her.

"I think I could get used to you being my bitch," Jamie added with a flirtatious smirk.

"Pretty soon you'll get me my own dog collar, won't you?" The sandy blonde grinned back at her.

"Well, maybe not _that _far," the brunette sighed contentedly, relaxing her pillow as she smirked back at her boyfriend.

Vince ducked his head to kiss Jamie once more, holding the kiss out for quite a few moments. "I love you, you know that, right?"

The younger teen nodded, drawing back from her boyfriend's lips slightly. "I know that. And you're in luck," she smiled. "I love you too."

**How was the chapter? **


	3. The Secret Proposal

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay with this chapter; for some reason, it just didn't want to be written.**

**Many thanks to IA and DS for their reviews last chapter. I do not own The Cape; I just have far too much fun imagining these random scenarios.**

_**Growing Closer- Chapter Three: The Secret Proposal**_

__"Vince, I don't want to go out there. Why the hell did you invite so many people to our anniversary party?" Jamie peeked into her boyfriend's parents' back yard from behind the curtains in the Faraday kitchen. "I thought it was going to be a small gathering?"

The sandy blonde that stood behind his girlfriend couldn't help but grin. "You know how my family is. Everything is a great big to do around here. And everyone knows in five minutes tops, all because we taught my mom how to text," he shook his head, still grinning.

The twenty-one year old walked over to her boyfriend, whining as he brought both of his arms around her. "Your mother will do anything to embarrass us. She likes to reminisce way too much," she began in a muffled voice as she smothered her face into the twenty-five year old's chest.

Vince placed a kiss on the top of Jamie's head, settling his chin on it a moment later. "I'm sure it'll all be okay."

"That's easy for you to say, sweetie. You're not the shy one between the two of us," the brunette sighed, lifting her head up to send a pout to her boyfriend.

The sandy blonde grinned down at the twenty-one year old. "Your pout is too adorable, you know," he ducked his head to peck at her lips.

"You're not addressing the issue, Vincent," Jamie shot a little scowl up to Vince. "I don't like having all eyes on me. Why couldn't we have gone out, just the two of us?"

The twenty-five year old took his girlfriend's face into the palm of his hands, smiling back at her gently. "Because my mother never does things half-cocked, and she's way too nosey for me to keep this from."

The brunette smiled a bit. "Well, I see where you're going with this."

Vince leaned his forehead against Jamie's, both closing their eyes as they took in each other's scent. "Let's just have a good time, okay? We've been dating for what, eighteen years? It's about time we let people celebrate with us."

She just sighed, her lips twitching into a smile. "Okay, Vince. You win."

The sandy blonde kissed his girlfriend, lifting her into his arms while deepening the kiss. It took the two quite a few moments to break apart. Once they did, Vince carried her into the backyard. Outside, everyone was setting up for the party. Family members were placing tables on the green grass, embellishing each one with ornate table cloths and centerpieces.

Jamie sighed into her boyfriend's chest. "I can't believe they're doing all of this for us."

"Why wouldn't they?" the sandy blonde grinned down at her. "Who wouldn't celebrate an amazing couple like us?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. "I didn't know you were so big headed, Vince."

"I'm not. But, I'm glad they're throwing this party for us," Vince ducked his head to kiss his girlfriend gently. "I've got a surprise for you."

"Vince, you know I don't like surprises," Jamie began with a sigh.

"You'll like this one. Just wait and see, sweetheart," the sandy blonde placed the brunette back onto her two feet and took her hand in his.

"If you say so," the twenty-one year old replied dryly as her boyfriend led her to the table Amanda Faraday stood at.

When they came up to the blonde mother, she had just started to line up the crease of the table cloth with the middle of the table.

"Hey mom," Vince began, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's waist, still holding her hand tightly.

Amanda turned her head over to the couple, her messy blonde ponytail falling onto her left shoulder. "Well hello you two!" she smiled. "Everything okay?"

"Yes it is," Jamie spared her second mother a bright smile. "Would you like some help setting up?"

"No thanks, sugar. The guests should be arriving soon, so you _can _help get them settled inside," the blonde began with another smile.

Vince kissed his girlfriend's temple and passed his mother a big grin. "Thanks mom."

Amanda nodded with a knowing smile. She knew exactly what the surprise was and she couldn't _wait _to see Jamie's reaction.

-0-

The party was a major success. Vince's family made sure to congratulate the couple; they even bought them both gifts, much to Jamie's disapproval. There was a big spread of food. The grill was put to a test with all of the hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks and prime ribs. Not to mention all of the side orders. Then came desserts; needless to say, if anyone was hungry after all of that, it was their own fault.

By the time everyone was finishing up their desserts, Vince figured it was time to bring his surprise into play. He was well aware that his girlfriend would kill him for popping the question in front of everyone but, Vince grinned to himself, it was so worth it.

As the sandy blonde looked back over at Jamie, she was popping a piece of orange cake into her mouth. He got up from his seat after they smiled back at each other affectionately, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he did so.

The brunette picked her head up and watched Vince warily. "You're planning something," she said to him, arching an eyebrow.

"Whatever could you mean?" the twenty-five year old asked with a goofy grin.

Jamie rolled her eyes. "What_ever_ it is, please make it quick."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Vince began. He dug into his jacket pocket, getting a hold of the box that contained a diamond ring.

The brunette's eyes grew wide, to which she looked around at her boyfriend's relatives, who were growing silent. "Vince, _what _are you doing?" she whispered.

The sandy blonde offered his hand to her. "Just give me your hand and you'll find out."

Jamie passed him a suspicious frown as she took her boyfriend's hand in hers. Their fingers intertwined, to which her face relaxed some.

Vince looked around at his family, passing them all grins. "Guys? Can I have everyone's attention please?"

Most of them were already watching, but those that weren't surely were at that point.

The brunette couldn't stand having all eyes on her. Her boyfriend knew that too; oh they were _so _having a talk about this later. She just clamped her mouth shut and focused on the sandy blonde. It didn't help the fact that she knew everyone was watching, but he _did _look really happy. That much she couldn't help but smile at.

Vince passed all of his relatives a smile, especially Amanda Faraday who, by that time, had tears in her eyes. Her little baby had grown up so fast!

"Well, you guys know how long Jamie and I have been together," he grinned at the crowd and squeezed his girlfriend's hand. "Ever since the day we met in that department store, we've been inseparable."

Jamie resisted the urge to look at the crowd of family that was letting out several different degrees of coos around them. She met with her boyfriend's eyes, a blush crawling up on her face.

Vince looked back down at his free hand, grinning as he flipped the top of the ring box open. He gently tugged on his girlfriend's hand and brought her in front of all of the tables.

The brunette nervously bit on her bottom lip as she was guided in front of the crowd. She just stared at him, afraid to look beyond what was in front of her. "Vince," she whispered. "I'm a little afraid."

The sandy blonde spared her a gentle grin and pressed a quick kiss to her temple. "I know. Just trust me on this, okay? It'll be worth it."

Jamie sent a little scowl his way. He knew then that he would have some _major _sucking up to do. "Alright," she sighed. "I trust you."

Vince bobbed his head and placed a kiss on the backside of the brunette's hand as he massaged her knuckles and dropped down to one knee. She stared back at her boyfriend with wavering eyes, noticing the whole crowd quieting down at the couple's actions.

"I cannot tell you how crazy you make me feel. I loved you from the moment I handed you Bear-Bear. From the moment you taunted me in our tag games. And then it all fell in place when we got older," the sandy blonde took the ring from where it was nestled inside its box and offered it to her. "Jamie, my best friend, my sweetheart; my soul mate," he breathed out a nervous chuckle, licking his lips in anticipation, "Will you marry me?"

The brunette couldn't have been anything but happy, even if she tried to be mad at him for bringing all of this attention on them. The way he stared back at her provided a jumpstart to her heart. He loved her, and there was no mistaking that behind those pretty blue eyes.

"Uh-huh," she nodded back at her boyfriend, tears building up behind her big brown eyes. Her voice was so soft, almost inaudible.

Vince slid the diamond ring onto her third finger, a bright smile on both of their faces. As they stared back at each other, the sandy blonde pulled his fiancée closer and melded their lips together. The couple barely realized that their family erupted into applause; they were too busy focusing on the warmth of the other's lips.

When the two finally broke away for their lungs to contract with a much needed breath of air, Vince rested his forehead against Jamie's, murmuring into her lips, "I love you."

The brunette pulled him into a quick peck, a smile playing at her lips. "And I love you. Now," she let out a breath as she straightened up the sandy blonde's shirt collar, "I believe we have something to discuss in a more _private _environment."

"You mean, after all of this, you're still mad at me for proposing to you in front of everyone?" Vince asked with a pout.

"It was romantic, I'll give you that," Jamie tapped his lips with a slender finger. "But, I still hate being the center of attention."

The sandy blonde kissed the tip of his fiancée's finger. "Well, at least I can say that I did something memorable."

The brunette beamed a smile back at him. "That's very true," she linked her arms around the sandy blonde's neck, rising to her tiptoes to hover her mouth over his. "Thank you for that," she whispered before kissing Vince gently.

-0-

For the next week or so, the sandy blonde tried to be as sweet to his fiancée as possible. They had gotten past the brunette's slight irritation rather smoothly, but he wasn't going to be the one to set her off again.

At first Vince tried flowers. Plentiful amounts of bouquets, and boxes of cherry filled chocolates. Jamie knew what he was up to, and she told him again and again that none of it was necessary; but did that stop the twenty-five year old? Absolutely not!

The next thing he tried came from deep inside his heart. He was out with his mother one day, and saw the perfect gift for his fiancée. It was a huge brown teddy bear that held a pink heart in its hands. The first thing that came to his mind when he saw the bear was Jamie. Bear-Bear was an important trinket to the brunette, and probably always would be. The little brown teddy bear with a sewn up right ear, and a half a button for a right eye meant something special to her. It reminded her of the love of her life, and how he had been her knight in shining armor from age six.

Once Vince bought the teddy bear for his fiancée, he didn't waste much time to get back to their shared apartment. The sandy blonde quietly shut the door behind him, tiptoeing towards the noise of clanking dishes.

Jamie was at the kitchen sink, busily finishing up washing dishes from lunch. She had her iPod ear buds in both ears, lightly singing along to the music that went into her ears.

He stopped mid-stride, listening to the sound of his fiancée's voice. A grin tugged at his lips; of course she was singing Lady Gaga. Though, he really didn't recognize the song.

The brunette went on to the chorus, placing the clean skillet onto the drying rack that sat on the counter.

Oh _now _he recognized the song. Marry the night… or something like that. Vince grinned again, she really loved that song. He sat up on the bar stool and waited for his fiancée to finish up with the dishes. It never failed for her to be listening to music whenever she worked.

Jamie turned off the water, slipping a pair of black gloves off of her hands and onto the sink to dry off. The diamond on her left hand sparkled against the sunlight coming through the window in front of her, almost blinding the sandy blonde in the process. After she looked back down at her hand with a smile, she sung the last few lyrics softly and turned the iPod off.

Vince watched as his fiancée turned around to walk away from the sink. She hadn't picked up on him being there yet; for the time being, she shoved her music player back into her dark-wash jean pocket.

When she finally picked her head up, the first thing she saw was the big brown teddy bear sitting on the mini island counter. A smile graced the brunette's features as she noticed her fiancée peeking at her from behind the stuffed animal.

"Hey, sweetheart," Vince began with a grin.

"Vince, honey, what is this for?" Jamie asked, nudging towards the bear in front of the sandy blonde.

"This ol' thing?" he asked, turning it around to grin at it. "I got it for you," he added as he met with his fiancée's eyes.

The brunette smiled as she walked closer to Vince. As soon as she was in arms' reach, he spun around and took her in his arms.

"Well, that's really sweet of you," Jamie nuzzled her nose into his and placed a gentle peck on his cheek.

"Yeah?" Vince grinned back at her. "I'm glad you approve."

The brunette beamed back at her fiancée. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long. Just in time to hear your beautiful voice," the sandy blonde smoothed down the wavy brown hair that cascaded down Jamie's shoulder, his grin withering into an affectionate smile.

Jamie's cheeks flushed bright pink. "Oh, God. You heard that?"

"Of course I heard that. It would have been a shame if I didn't," Vince began, placing a kiss on the bridge of her nose.

The brunette met with her fiancée's eyes. "Suck up," she muttered under her breath.

"I speak the truth, my gorgeous bride-to-be," the sandy blonde grinned back at her, getting a pointed look in response.

Jamie sighed, playing with the curls that sat on the top of Vince's head. "How's your mom?"

"She's good. She says hi," Vince strummed a thumb against the brunette's hips, still grinning like crazy. There wasn't a day that went by that didn't leave him feeling like a school boy whenever he was around his fiancée.

She flashed him another smile. "Hi to her too," she whispered before starting a slow kiss with the sandy blonde.

"What's all this for?" he asked, quickly adding, "Not that I'm going to complain."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "Just shut up. You were gone too long, and I missed you."

"Well that's all you had to say," Vince grinned into his fiancée's lips before executing the next kiss.

The brunette deepened the kiss, to which the sandy blonde lifted her into his arms as he rose to his feet. She squeaked into his lips as she was carried through the apartment to their bedroom.

**Alright, now I bring all of this to a close. What was your favorite chapter? Stay tuned, readers, only 10 more chapters to go with WI! After that I will be bringing in a whole new set of stories for you all to enjoy!**


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